Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.76) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Orton's lovesick croon still slam-dunks, particularly during the haunted opener, 'She Cries Your Name.'" Spin (p.92) - "[S]he honors the British Isles' ancient musical roots...[and] frankly but coldly emotes over beautifully disturbing soundscapes." Spin (1/98, p.88) - Included on Spin's list of "Unheard Music" - "Like a silver-jacketed rave kid who's still a card-carrying member of the Village Green Preservation Society, Brit singer/songwriter Orton situates her haunty, folky wails on top of city-slicker dance beats..." Entertainment Weekly (5/2/97, p.60) - "England's Orton...pioneers a new genre--ambient folk--on her potent debut. Orton swings engagingly from despair to resolve, supported by slurred synthesizers and trembling acoustic guitars..." - Rating: A- Q (4/00, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...an album for which the hammock might have been invented: slow, sedate, but as warm as the evening sun....this is a sublime, incense-scented joy from start to finish." Village Voice (2/24/98) - Ranked #19 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll. Q (Magazine) (p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "A voice that recalled a disquieted Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake-style arrangements, head-nodding beats and blank song titles dove-tailed perfectly with the comedown crowd..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.118) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he mournful strings and bruised-sounding voice on 'She Cries Your Name' are still irresistible....TRAILER PARK has lost little of its appeal." NME (Magazine) (12/21-28/96, pp.66-67) - Ranked #24 in NME's 1996 critics' poll. Paste (magazine) - "The demure singer sounds almost timid at first, but closer listening reveals a stubborn presence that remains the calm center of even the busiest soundscape." Pitchfork (Website) - "TRAILER PARK holds up surprisingly well, and the remastered tracks still reward headphone scrutiny. Even more than a decade later, 'She Cries Your Name' still sounds great..." Record Collector (magazine) (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "There's no doubting Orton's songwriting and lyrical skills, showcased to perfection on 'Live As You Dream' and 'She Cries Your Name,' while her crackling, melancholic voice adds yet more gravitas to laments such as 'I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine.'"
Additional information
Personnel includes: Beth Orton (vocals, guitar, mandolin); Ted Barnes (acoustic & electric guitars, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonium, bass); Andrew Hackett (electric guitar); Keith Tenniswood (guitar, keyboards); Sean Kilbride (dulcimer); Becki Doe, Lucy Wilkins, Howard Gott, Nia Bevan (violin); Rob Spriggs, Becca Ware (viola); Oliver Kraus, Sara Wilson (cello); David Boulter (harmonium, Hammond organ); Sean Reed (piano, Hammond organ); Lee Spencer (keyboards); Ali Friend (bass); Will Blanchard (drums); Tasha Lee McCluney (background vocals). Engineers: Gideon Schaltman, Toby Bush, Keith Tenniswood. TRAILER PARK, the debut album by British songstress Beth Orton, is a swirling voyage that soars beyond the sonic limitations that are the Achilles heel of singer/songwriters. Recorded with producer Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Tindersticks), TRAILER PARK's lush, sinewy string arrangements, imaginative sound effects, and tasteful accompaniment contribute a complexity that lifts, rather than smothers, the stark, up-front vocals and breezy, melodic guitar playing. Somehow, the busier things get, the more room she seems to have. Orton's lyrics are just introspective and plaintive enough--she neither pleads nor lectures. Overall her message is wistful beyond her years, and sad without being self-indulgent. Smart and skilled, but also honest and strong, she possesses a modern edge that pushes her out of the folk-singer mold and into the realm of inventive, innovative pop music.
